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Marketing Case Study a New Joe on the Block Essay

Good Essays

Written Assignment 1: A New “Joe” on the Block
November 4, 2011

[Question 1]

In my opinion, there are two top key decisions that Joe faces in regards to his situation. The first key decision is determining the basis for which Joe will model his coffee shop after. With supporting evidence from research, he must determine which indicators on taste/experience/price/etc. will ultimately establish his positioning in the competitive market. This is an important decision because it narrows the scope of his coffee shop’s situation and will aid him in taking the necessary steps towards determining key factors for success.

The second key decision that Joe encounters is whether or not he should enlist the help of a marketing research …show more content…

consumer preferences.

The second major flaw in the coffee taste studies is the existence of external variables. It is evident that the first and third studies had underlying variables that may have significantly affected their outcomes. The first study notes that “the author of this study personally purchased coffee to go at four places, took them to his office, tasted them, made notes and drew conclusions” (pg. 63). This indicates a major flaw of this particular study because the time frames for which each cup of coffee was obtained and then consumed are inconsistent.

The third study also indicates the existence of possible external variables given the location in which it was conducted. According to the text, “the researchers stood outside a small organic specialty shop and interviewed 100 customers as they exited the shop” (pg. 63). Based on the choice of location, it can be argued that the results of this study mainly coincide with the preferences of consumers with a high interest in organic products.

[Question 4]

Given the situation, a determination can be made about its relation to each of the first three steps in the marketing research process. At this point, Joe has already undertaken some actions that are consistent with the defining research objectives step. The first thing that Joe has done is define his situational problem. Although it appears to be lacking in content and clarity, he recognizes “that a great deal of research in

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